Monday, October 26, 2009

It is a very rainy, nasty day in the great NW...buckets of rain..... I mean b u c k e t s o f r a i n.....but no worries, it just means it's a perfect day for indoor projects & a nice cup of peppermint tea!

I am so happy to report that I finally finished the slipcover for the loveseat in my living room. For new followers to my blog.....it's embarrassing to actually admit how long it has sat there! (click here to read original post and see just how long it's been sitting..ok I just checked and yep it's embarrassing...)... she has been sitting dressed in scraps and unfinished while the sofa has been all finished & looking lovely.

~remember on the confessions about myself....if not you can go here to get all the dirt.... something to do with starting too many projects...

well, here she is....ok...I am not going to act like it was a cinch & I love doing these....no, I'm not going to dwell on how many hours last week I worked on it.....(roughly 25ish at least) or how many times I went to that wretched a certain fabric store where the cutting counter ladies are so grouchy pleasant. Or why I had to keep going back but, here's a clue....measure 8 times cut once......

Yep, measure more than one time before you cut roughly 130 linear inches of 7 8 inch strips of fabric for the skirt!!! Oh, and double that because I also miscut roughly 130 linear inches of the skirt lining too..........And I am not a seamstress, by any stretch, so it wasn't until the second time around of cutting the skirt that I wised up and quadrupled the thickness of the fabric so I wasn't cutting each strip individually...(maybe a blonde thing..perhaps...) But I do have a handy quilting board & rotary cutter

these are major necessities for this sort of project! I actually made a couple wingback chair slipcovers a few years ago

These were made without any such tools, and don't look too close, because you can totally tell how uneven they are.........I sold these on craigslist when I got my "new" furniture. I didn't do piping on these because I was way too nervous to even attempt it on my first try of slipcover making!

So for my sofa & loveseat covers, I used 2 books to help me through. One did a great job of explaining certain parts but not others so hence the need to purchase both.

I did do piping this time and seriously guys~ it is totally do-able! I was just determined to use it because to me it really makes it look so finished & professional (well you know...as close to it as a newbie can get)

You know the hardest part for me was doing these crazy pleats!!!!

I tell ya, it wasprobablymy technique.......but they gave me fits!!! The whole pin it upside down while lining it up perfectly and making sure it doesn't hang down too far in the back thing and don't forget it's even better on the corners where you have to also line it up with the piping....argh. Other than that it was a breeze... smiley face...

looking at this picture really makes me think that I shoulda ironed it before putting it back on & before showing all of you! Oh well...it's linen so ironing is fairly futile. although it would've been kind of nice to at least press the pleats....did I ever mention my impatientness?

so before...well during rather....

and after...

Well, what do you think? I am pretty happy with the way it turned out. (now if you look super close you will see that I have not trimmed the excess seam fabric on inside of the cushion cover....after wrestling w/ it to get it on --- I realized I had forgotten...so....in a couple days or something....I'll do it. ) I am so glad to be finished w/ it! What a relief! Now on to the next of many projects to finish!

But...before you go!! I have a question for you!

I have been totally loving all the burlap-y- ticking-like pillows I've seen at some blogs and really want to either make some or buy some from some of you bloggy shop girls, but until then....do you like the above look w/ creamy & white & toile & crocheted pillows together or do you like this?

You know, ignore the chocolate brown pillows...I just put them there to see, but I don't really like them. But do you like the vintage blanket in the reddish tone? I'm thinking I don't. Too much color for me....I don't know...I was looking for a vintage blanket in a rich creamy/ cable type fabric or a grayish one but this was all I could find (in my price range) at Monticello last Friday.

Here is one fabulous pillow I found:

gray flannelish/ old blanket type fabric with the lace....love it.

here's another one that was so cute

So let me know your thoughts...about the whole pillow/blanket thing on the loveseat

Next post I will take you shopping with me so you can see all the wonderful stuff at Monticello Antique Mall!